When the cervical spine (neck) of an individual requires support, it is known in the prior art to attach a cervical plate to cervical vertebrae within the spine to hold the cervical vertebrae relative to each other. Such reinforcement of the cervical spine is indicated in situations such as where the vertebra of the spine have degenerated due to disease, or where a spinal injury has occurred, or otherwise where a medical professional determines that reinforcement of the cervical spine is warranted.
Known prior art cervical plates include anterior cervical plates which are placed on an anterior (i.e. front) side of the cervical spine. For instance, see U.S. Pat. No. 7,686,806 to Rhyne, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. While such anterior cervical plates are known in the prior art, applicant has devised improvements to such anterior cervical plates. In particular, it is desirable that the cervical plate be easy to install reliably and precisely where desired, and for the anterior cervical plate to facilitate such precise positioning, both through its configuration and through its utilization with associated tools, such as bone drill guide jigs, drills, bending tools, tapping bits and fastening screws.